WOMAD is thrilled to announce the first slate of global artists who will be descending to the picturesque landscape of Charlton Park in Wiltshire Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 July 2024. Aneclectic mix of talent,from newcomers to legends, unknowns to visionary songwriters spanning every genre; R&B, hip-hop, rap, rock, blues, electro, folk, punk, jazz and everything in-between; New Orleans brass band, funkadelists, drum and bass, neo-soul, gospel, indie-pop, psychedelic rock, Qawwali, mambo, boogaloo, and flamenco.
Making their long-waited WOMAD debut are progressive hip-hop trio Young Fathers [UK], whose most recent album Heavy Heavy was described by The Guardian as “something that’s unique and completely modern, that couldn’t have been made before now.” Their upcoming performance is sure to provide a live commentary to our confused and chaotic times, as is that of Sampa The Great [Zambia], regarded as one of southern Africa’s greatest hip hop heroes, if not of the entire continent she will be bringing her unique blend of electronica, gospel, neo-soul, jazz and Zamrock to WOMAD for the very first time, with lyrics that wrestle with the themes of home, identity and injustice. Joining them at the World’s best party festival electronic trailblazer and dance icon Alison Goldfrapp [UK] will be showcasing her recent debut solo album, The Love Invention, her self-confessed “tribute to the dancefloor.”
Musical legends Amadou and Mariam [Mail] who are amongst the world’s finest musical ambassadors with their signature swinging blues will make a timely return this year long with the musical powerhouse Baaba Maal [Senegal], whose commanding vocals and timeless body of work have put him at the top of the Senegalese musical tree. Also making a triumphant return are legendary gypsy punks Gogol Bordello [USA], who still know how to cause a musical riot with their intoxicating and feverish performances and hip hop crew DAM [Palestine] who live in the mixed Israeli cities of Lydda and Haifa. Their unique sound explores an array of hard-hitting topics with universal resonance through intricate and powerful musical compositions, fusing traditional Middle Eastern sounds, the rhythm and intonation of Arabic-language rap and an unmistakeably hip-hop attitude.
Other artists hailing from across the pond are contemporary New Orleans jazz band The 79rs Gang [USA], whose extraordinary reinvention of Mardi Gras frivolity interweaves with vibrant hip-hop and rap and San Francisco’s indie-rock innovators Deerhoof [USA], known for their fabulously frenetic psychedelia will bring their improvised punk noise in full force.
From South America come two Latin Grammy-Award winners; the euphoric sounds of Bala Desejo [Brazil],whose avant-garde approach to their carnival roots will blow audiences away and iLe [Puerto Rico]who originally made her name in alternative hip-hop group and family band Calle 13, she isknown for her varying classical latin styles, enchanting vocals and steely lyrics pushing her politics in exciting ways.
From the Real World label are Tibet’s legendary musical export Yungchen Lhamo [Tibet], the viola-playing master John Metcalfe [New Zealand] who willpresent his latest acclaimed album ‘Tree’, the folk gospel flavoured duo The Breath [Ireland/England]andnew to the spotlight African musical sensation, The Zawose Queens [Tanzania], the daughter and granddaughter of the late great Tanzanian musician and WOMAD legend Hukwe Zawose.
WOMAD has long been a byword for thrilling musical collaborations, at this year’s gathering the first female professional tabla player Anuradha Pal willjoin forces with brothers Kedia Bandhu [India], Qawwali Flamenco [Pakistan/Spain] will fuse Sufi Islamic tradition with magnificent flamenco and experimental collaboration “41323142” [Tarta Relena, Cocanhaand Los Sara Fontan] [Catalonia/Spain] will enchant with their spellbinding harmonies.
Every WOMAD event is fuelled by the spirit of discovery, by encountering performers previously unknown and unheard, a new favourite could well be found among some of the other performers;
The Allergies [UK/USA]
What started as the vinyl-spinning duo of DJ Moonshot and Rackabeat has evolved into a high-action live hip hop band, with funky beats and breaks a-plenty.
Ars Nova Napoli [Italy]
Vibrant re-interpreters of the folk music of their native Naples, armed with fiddles, accordion, bagpipes and the like.
Bhutan Balladeers [Bhutan]
Zhungdra music from Bhutan is among the most secret sounds made on this planet. Expect extended vocal tones, double-stringed lutes, wooden flutes, and two-stringed fiddles.
Cerys Hafana [Wales]
Brilliant player of the triple harp, recalibrating this most challenging of instruments but never losing a drop of that Welsh flavour.
Dr Meaker [UK]
Led by the titular keyboard player, this multi-membered outfit deliver full-on, high-bpm live dance music – where nu-soul meets drum & bass.
Duo Ruut [Estonia]
Duo Ruul’s unusual set-up finds its two female members either side of a giant zither which they both play, their voices also sharing the air on which they rise higher and higher.
Faiz Ali Faiz [Pakistan]
In Faiz Ali Faiz, the honourable tradition of qawwali singing has a true successor to the mighty Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan. A voice that soars and soars and soars.
The Great Malarkey [UK]
Spiky-edged folk-punk Londoners draw from heroes like The Pogues and Manu Chao for an intensive, unforgettable live experience that never fails to electrify.
Henge [UK]
Call it cosmic rock, call it space rock… Manchester’s cult heroes Henge take you on an idiosyncratic, galactic musical voyage to places you have never imagined.
Hirahi Afonso [Canary Islands]
From Gran Canaria, Hirahi plays the timble, a five-stringed instrument native to the Canary Islands which he introduces to a wide, jazz-tinged repertoire with his lively band.
Islandman [Turkey]
Trio from Istanbul who fuse gentle electronica and acoustic Turkish folk to create mellow grooves that are utterly redolent of the sun-hazed Mediterranean.
Justin Adams & Mohamed Errebbaa [UK/Morocco]
The venerable, well-travelled guitarist teams up with gnawa master musician Mohamed for a deep voyage into the heavy sounds of North Africa and beyond.
Kumbia Boruka [Mexico]
Lyon-based collective who put a 21st-century twist on cumbia, that soundtrack of Latin America. The accordion is there, the horns are there with a discernible Jamaican flavour.
Laura Misch [UK]
Sax-playing singer-songwriter whose breathy vocals, field recordings and electronic enhancements create deeply atmospheric soundscapes.
London Afrobeat Collective [UK]
Horn-heavy grooves from London Town that reach beyond Nigerian Afrobeat and add swirling Congolese guitar and a dose of Latin bounce.
Ndox Électrique [Senegal]
One of the most unlikely musical collaborations finds the music of the super-secretive Senegalese n’döep ritual fusing with thick and heavy electric guitars.
Noriko Tadano [Japan]
The shamisen is a Japanese lute-like instrument which, in the hands of Noriko Tadano, is played with a combination of virtuosic perfection and bluesy abandon.
O. [UK]
London duo who use a baritone sax and a drum kit to astoundingly imaginative effect, exploring the hinterland between improvisational jazz and experimental rock.
Old Time Sailors [UK]
Set the time machine for the 19th century as this 20-strong bunch raise a chest of sea shanties from the ocean floor and fire them up in riotous, rousing fashion.
Sangjaru [South Korea]
Lithe and deft trio who – unlikely as it seems – seamlessly stitch together the swing of gypsy jazz with the folk traditions of their Korean homeland.
Seckou Keita – Homeland Band [Senegal/UK]
Seckou is no ordinary kora player. His virtuosity is matched by his open ears and sense of adventure, whether collaborating with Welsh harpists or Cuban jazzers.
Sheelanagig [UK]
“Original jumping East European folk music” is how Sheelanagig sell themselves. Expect groove, expect exuberance, expect a fine time indeed.
Soema Montenegro [Argentina]
A complete musical free spirit, Soema is a singer, a poet, a storyteller and a shaman, and her untethered music celebrates the natural and spirit worlds of South America.
Two Canoes [Ireland]
Aiming to recreate the feel and spontaneity of a live session in a rural Irish pub, Two Canoes deliver the goods, whether playing wistful ballads or rousing reels.
WOMAD is not just about incredible music; it has an abundance of activity; the World of Words, celebrates all things spoken; fascinating talks, thought provoking conversation and inspirational authors and the Hip Yak Poetry Shack will have some of the best-spoken word artists in the country. There will be mind-expanding talks, experiments, and performance at the Physics Pavilion; pampering and tranquility at the World of Wellbeing and luxury at the WOMAD Spa, an oasis of calm with wood-fired hot-tubs, and all-day yoga. And some of the weekend’s performers will get the chance to show off their culinary credentials in the legendary and unique Taste the World stage.
On top of that, festivalgoers have the unique opportunity to learn from experts and get involved with a whole array of workshops; from taking dance lessons to picking up a musical instrument from the other side of the globe. And at the World of Children there are more child-friendly activities and workshops than at any other festival, this year’s theme is Superheroes, the culmination of which is the now-legendary Sunday afternoon parade across the festival site. All children 13 years and under are free.
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